Have you struggled to lose weight, and more importantly, keep it off?

You are not alone. Most clients come to me feeling overwhelmed, stuck, and totally tired of the ups and downs. The diet industry keeps us pretty confused (and very busy) with all the latest and greatest cleanses, 30-day fixes and complicated meal plans. And no matter the regime, we seem to remain stuck in the cycle of losing and regaining those same pounds.

This is where a Registered Dietitian (RD) can help, building a personalized, sustainable approach to weight loss. One that both identifies what’s held you back in the past, and keys in on what will work for your individual body in the future. The end result is a program that gets you to a healthier, more confident you!

So, why is weight loss so hard? It’s just eat less and move more, right? At least that’s what the internet says…

Let’s chat about the 4 biggest areas where people get stuck on weight loss, and how working with an RD can help.

Diet, after diet, after diet

How many diets have you been on in your life? Too many to count? Our impulse to go all-in with diet and weight loss regimes is actually one of the biggest reasons we’re not successful long term. And boy, does the weight loss industry keep us confused here….

Rapid weight loss and gain is very hard on the human body. When we restrict caloric intake, we train our body to increase hunger hormones and decrease energy burn. Eventually, this creates a situation where you’re hungry, tired, and stuck on a weight-loss plateau, drinking spicy water and eating carrot sticks…that is until you finally hit what I affectionately call the “why bother” button. After giving up on your weight-loss goals for a period of time, you come across a newer, fancier, more restrictive way to lose weight, which starts the same cycle all over again.

The key to long term weight loss success does not lie in some mass-marketed, quick success fad diet. It lies in developing a program that’s specific to your individual needs, and slowing the entire process way down. You cannot reverse decades of poor nutrition with a 3-day juice cleanse! This is where an RD shines, building a program devoid of short-term tactics in lieu of having you feel great 3 months from now, 6 months from now, 5 years from now and longer. 

Complete Information Overwhelm

While the web is a fantastic resource, it can be a nightmare when it comes to nutritional advice. Since everyone on earth eats, everyone feels entitled to share an opinion about food and nutrition. The result? The internet is now littered with confusing and conflicting nutritional advice. Click on one link, and you can read about the virtues of carbohydrates. And the next? Well, it’ll explain how carbs are slowing killing you. Do a Google search on alcohol, and you’ll find just as many articles about the dangers of the substance as you will about the positive effects of red wine. Organic, gluten-free, dairy-free; no matter what the topic, you’ll be able to find both support and opposition by combing through the vast troves of information online. 

Unlike typical nutrition advice you might find online that provides blanket statements of “eat this” or “don’t eat that”, an RD uses their robust background and training in science and nutrition to develop programs and strategies that are tailored to your specific needs as a person. All told, the path to becoming a Registered Dietician in Canada often takes 6-7 years’ worth of education and training. That’s certainly a step above the 20 minutes it takes to launch a food blog…

Consistency (and accountability) is king when it comes to weight loss. The trouble with most nutrition approaches is they require you to be ALL IN. Diets that make eating out challenging, or that eliminate all your favourite foods, tax your brain’s ability to keep up with the effort. Eventually, you’re going to run out of willpower and hit that “why bother” button. And you will do so long before the 6-12 months researchers agree it takes to achieve any long-term results. 

This totally makes sense, as weight loss and quality nutrition are nothing more than a series of new, healthy habits. And habits take time to develop. This is why fad diets don’t work…you’re not developing new habits. You’re just muscling yourself through a few weeks of discomfort to shed a few vanity pounds. Ones which will come back as soon as you return to your normal (unhealthy) nutritional habits.

RD’s understand this entire process, and build accountability into their programs, which will pull you through the tough times, and dust you off when you fall of track. Life throws us curveballs, and RD’s knows how to help you navigate them so you can actually keep moving forward.